BBC Symphony Chorus
| BBC Symphony Chorus | |
|---|---|
| Choir | |
| Also known as | BBCSC, BBC SC |
| Former name | National Chorus 1928–32 BBC Chorus 1932–35 BBC Choral Society 1935–77 |
| Origin | London, United Kingdom |
| Founded | 1928 (89 years ago) |
| Genre | Classical |
| President | Sir Andrew Davis |
| Music director | Neil Ferris |
| Manager | Helen MacLeod |
| Headquarters | Maida Vale Studios |
| Concert hall |
Barbican Centre Royal Albert Hall |
| Affiliation |
British Broadcasting Corporation BBC Proms BBC Radio 3 |
| Associated groups | BBC Symphony Orchestra |
| Website | bbc.co.uk |
The BBC Symphony Chorus is a British amateur chorus based in London. It is the dedicated chorus for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, though it performs with other national and international orchestras.
In its early years, the BBC worked on developing its choral output, founding the BBC Wireless Chorus, a professional chamber choir of 16, to supply the smaller scale needs. For bigger choral works, the BBC turned to outside organisations, which performed either under their own name, or under the title of "The National Chorus". Participating choruses included the Civil Service Choir, the Lloyds Choir, and the Railway Clearing House Male Voice Choir, which would perform en masse together with the Wireless Chorus.Holst's choral ballet The Morning of the Year has the distinction of having been the first piece of music to be commissioned by the music department of the newly formed British Broadcasting Corporation. Its first performance was as part of a concert given at the Royal Albert Hall by the National Chorus and Orchestra, which was broadcast live, on the evening of 17 March 1927.
By 1928, the BBC had decided there was a need to develop a large amateur chorus of its own. Notices advertising the formation of The National Chorus were placed, auditions were held, a broadcast was delivered in August 1928 discussing the new choir and its upcoming programme, and the choir gave its first performance later that year in 's oratorio The Pilgrim's Progress. A condition of singing in the new choir was that the new member must already be a member of an existing choir.
Chorus Masters of the BBC Symphony Chorus
Its earliest concerts included the UK premiere of Mahler's Eighth Symphony (15 April 1930, under Sir Henry Wood), Beethoven's Missa Solemnis (17 December 1930), Walton's Belshazzar's Feast (25 November 1931) and Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms (27 January 1932, under Ernest Ansermet). The Missa Solemnis under the baton of Herman Scherchen on 17 December 1930 was the first performance of the Chorus with the new BBC Symphony Orchestra. Also noted are first performances of works by Bartók (Cantata Profana) and Stravinsky (Perséphone) under such conductors as Adrian Boult, Arturo Toscanini and Bruno Walter. Notable performances under Arturo Toscanini include Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 (the "Choral") on 3 November 1937 and his Mass in D, Op. 123 (the Missa Solemnis) on 26 May 1939, as well as the Verdi Requiem on 27 May 1938.
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